How to Tie a Body Harness for Rescue

You may need to tie a body harness to help someone out of a dangerous situation when they are too weak to hold on to a rope or if a safety harness breaks. Tying a harness can be done quickly and effectively in an emergency, using a rope and a few simple methods to get the person to safety.

Things You'll Need

• Climbing rope
• Tubular webbing
• Screw gate carabiner

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Instructions

• 1

  Send someone down (whenever possible) who can remain safe and assess the victim's condition before you pull them up. The rescue person must be able to tie this harness.

• 2

  Pass a loop up between the legs from behind the victim and have them hold it by closing their legs.

• 3

  Run the ends of the webbing that are behind them around the lower side of the rear end towards the hips on either side.

• 4

  Thread the rope ends through the loop sticking out between their legs and run them back out around the hip that the rope just crossed.

• 5

  Pass the ropes around the back, going in opposite directions. Wrap the rope around to the front and pass the ropes around their waist three more times in opposite directions.

• 6

  As the ropes come together after on the fourth time, tighten the ends together at one side. (This is to help the hitch tighten when they put their weight on it and center the rope off of the knot.)

• 7

  Tie a very loose overhand knot in one of the ends by making a loop and then entering it from the back side with the loose end. Take the other end of the webbing and start at the tip of the first end, following the first rope backwards through the knot with the second end until it comes out the other end of the knot. This knot is called a tape knot (also known as a water knot).

• 8

  Hook a carabiner in the front through the belt and the top of the loop that was sticking between their legs at first. Attach the rope as you normally would to a harness.